Released last Thursday, the decision to ditch the antiquated Compact “I haven’t bought one in 6 years” Disc and focus the icon on the music note, has caused quite the uproar. The new version of the icon seems to be following the standard “more is more” approach of on screen design: drop shadows, glows, bevels, gradients? – as quoted by this great article called Loony Tunes by Clinton Duncan on Brand News.
See the full article here well worth the read even just for the quote from steve jobs (in response to an email say the logo “really sucks”, Mr Jobs was rather pointed “We disagree. Sent from my iPhone”. Boom.)
There’s been an outpouring of on Twitter (and a fake Twitter profile), a facebook page has been set up, but the best so far is from online screen grab sharing slash social networking site Dribbble. The site is overflowing with designers trying to out-do Apples icon.
Anderson was a 23-year-old USC Architecture graduate when he entered the Container Corporation of America’s design contest to create what would become the universal symbol for recycling. From Wikipedia: The 500 entries to the competition were judged by designers recognized as world leaders in graphics and industrial art, including Saul Bass, Herbert Bayer, James Miho, Herbert Pinzke and Eliot Noyes. According to Anderson: “Angela Davis had just shot up the courthouse and the Manson murders had just happened. I wanted to move away from that, from the Haight-Ashbury poster art with its amorphous organic shapes to create something simpler and cleaner.”
TAXI created the poster campaign for this year’s TIFF The Toronto International Film Festival. The work was revealed to the press on Tuesday along with several of the Gala films and stars that will be attending this year’s festival. We worked with illustrator/writer Gary Clement to create the campaign.
Here’s the blurb TIFF put on their site to describe the philosophy behind the range of posters.
“Truly great films do a lot of things. They engage, inspire, and sometimes even reintroduce us to the world around us. But above all, great films spark great conversations; and that is the heart of this year’s TIFF: Toronto International Film Festival campaign. The cast of characters and their conversations show off the huge diversity of the festival audience. Each piece in the campaign is meant to highlight the different places, people and perspectives, that make up the world’s most accessible film festival. It is an experience anyone can tailor to their own interests. So, the only question is: What will you see?”
This lively RSA Animate, adapted from Dan Pink’s talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace.
The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has been a cradle of enlightenment thinking and a force for social progress for over 250 years.
I’ve been following the antics of one Johnny Cupcakes for a few years now. This guy impresses like no other, his passion for what he does rivals only Gary Vaynerchuk in my book, and that’s a good thing.
Recently Johnny did something you never see from the face of a company, a throwback to his early days of hustling t-shirts out of his suitcase while on tour with his band. Johnny along with his crew of people have embarked on a “Suitcase Tour” visiting bake shops, galleries and toy stores nation wide. Check the video below for the full story.
So what? Some guy you’ve probably never heard of decides to pack up some t-shirts into an old suitcase and document their antics of all the tour stops along their journey. Why is this important at all? Why take the time? The effort? Proof of how awesome this whole concept is for the JC brand is immediately evident if you watch any of the tour stop videos. The lineups alone show the dedication of people to the cupcakes brand, their love for Johnny and his shirts. But it extends further. People tell their stories about how they first found out about Johnny, how they randomly connected with somebody over a brand of t-shirt. Like VW owners giving each other the friendly nod when they drive past. This brand has captured its fanbase and is actively participating with it, seamlessly, honestly and transparently. Even before the tour you might find Johnny tweeting out and posting to the Facebook page that if you just showed up to a spot that night with a cupcakes shirt on you could get a free icecream sandwich. (see below)
All of this does wonders for the people that love Johnny Cupcakes. The fans are rallied together to create a memorable experience that they’ll share with their friends and family for years to come. That kind of experience is seemingly simple to accomplish with a little bit of planning and the desire to meet with your fans, interact with them and give a part of yourself back. How much is that worth in the end? Johnny success relies heavily on his dedication to his fans. He lives out his brand to everybody doing that requires guts and persistence and you have to admit that seeing what hes accomplished is nothing short of awesome.
Skip on over to the JC blog and watch some videos, get inspired and figure out how this type of thing can be incorporated into the work your doing now. Yet another example of brands who understand their fans.
If you’re a New Yorker, odds are you’ve held one of Leslie Buck’s designs in your hands. Buck — who died earlier this week at the age of 87 — was the man behind the iconic blue, white, and gold coffee cups that you can still find at many bodegas and food carts around the city. Its proper name: the Anthora. (As his son explained to the New York Times, the name derives from the amphora vases flanking the cup’s exterior; in his father’s Eastern European accent, it sounded more like “anthora.”)
Buck — who had no formal training in art — opted for a Grecian-looking cup because so many of the city’s diners and coffee shops were owned by Greeks back in the ’60s. The cup’s friendly inscription (“WE ARE HAPPY TO SERVE YOU”) in Classical script is perhaps its most identifying trait. He made no royalties on his design for the Sherri Cup company, where he was a director of marketing at the time, but he did profit off of the increase in sales.
This gothic wallpaper designed by Carnovsky changes depending on the light shone at it. Maybe not something you want in your bedroom but a visual treat nonetheless. Perhaps business cards that change in the light or an OOH execution? This wallpaper is manufactured by Jannelli & Volpi, and debuting recently as part of their showcase at Milan’s Design Week.
New video from the team-Obama website: “Organzing for America”….. speaking to the new health care laws passed in America.
From New Media Director Natalie Foster: Ever wanted a quick explanation of how health reform will benefit your and your community, to share with friends and family? We made this one-of-a-kind customized video to do just that. Watch now. Opponents of reform are already calling for its repeal — and spreading outrageous lies about what it means for America. We can’t let them tear down public support for reform.
For my fellow nerds out there, a great post from Dubberly Design Office about creating concept maps. These guys know their stuff, check out their maps here.
